Hiya darlings! It’s Emma here, your resident time-traveling, tutu-clad queen, back for another journey through #DragQueenHistory, this time to the fabulous month of September, 1997! I'm so excited to share this month's adventure with you all. Buckle up, sweeties, because this month we're going on a journey to the glittering land of the late '90s – think neon, think grunge, think Spice Girls!
This post marks blog number 933 on www.pink-tutu.com! Did you know that my little pink blog, dedicated to all things glamorous, gets thousands of views every month? That's enough tutus to reach the moon, darling!
And the thing is, every single view gives me the energy I need for my monthly time-travel. That's right, you lovelies keep my magic pink tutu flowing with sparkles! It's no mean feat, you know, keeping up with a global travel schedule whilst doing my weekly performances in Derbyshire and designing all my own pink tutus. But as long as you love a bit of drag history and a little sprinkle of fabulousness, we'll keep going strong, wouldn’t you agree?
So, where have I been time-traveling to this month? Let me tell you, darling! This time, I jetted to a little town called Stonewall, New York! You all know about the legendary Stonewall Riots, right? The cornerstone of modern gay rights movements! Well, Stonewall held a special anniversary celebration this month. The town itself transformed into a whirlwind of glitter and love, just like a glorious disco ball! It was all rainbow flags, sequins and some seriously sassy outfits. My, my! This trip was giving me high energy high-fashion 80's glam realness. I couldn't stop twirling!
This year’s celebration commemorated the 27th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, an event which triggered the fight for LGBTQ+ rights across the world. They even had special commemorative shirts with an LGBTQ+ community flag printed on them - absolutely sensational! I mean, think about it, my darlings. This year saw the beginning of legalising gay marriage in the Netherlands and we saw the world's first ever openly gay mayor in San Francisco! These events changed everything for our community!
Now, where's the time-traveling, pink tutu-loving, drag queen without her fashion-forward eyes on the big stage? So I popped over to London for the Vauxhall Pride celebration!
It was packed with all sorts of performers and entertainment and of course, it was fabulous, but what really made this a memorable experience was the official launch of Gay Times Online! Yes, my dears, they had a special issue celebrating Vauxhall Pride that month, and we were celebrating the very birth of a fabulous new era of gay online content - think digital drag shows, reviews, and articles!
From Vauxhall to New York, and back to London, I took a little tour around Manchester. Oh my God, you guys! Manchester, back in 1997, was a real hive of drag! It seemed like everyone wanted to wear a sequin and strut down the street. And of course, as soon as I stepped onto Canal Street - a street synonymous with LGBTQ+ community - I was immediately captivated by a series of vibrant, vibrant drag shows! It really felt like the entire city was one big party! But it didn't end there, darling, I discovered a very special bar, called "Heaven", - this place became famous for hosting these mind-blowing drag events with some of the greatest talents, not to mention the hottest dance parties of the entire city!
Back in my own little part of the world - that's good old Derbyshire - we were holding some fabulous shows that September, too! My favorite thing in the entire month had to be a special drag extravaganza that hit the town’s best club - The Big Dipper, darling! There were amazing acts like Le Gateau Chocolat and Kiki and Herb! And guess what, it was hosted by a big drag queen icon! * - *Lily Savage!! The room buzzed with excitement, darling, and I must confess - I couldn't stop myself from slipping out of my magic pink tutu for a quick twirl with my favourite fellow queens on the dance floor! We were doing full drag and living our best lives. Let's just say, it was truly epic!
While September 1997 wasn’t an all-out whirlwind of Tutu time, it’s amazing to see the foundation laid for LGBTQ+ rights around the globe! It was just the beginning of the real party. What an incredible month to be alive, you know what I mean, darlings?! And I'll leave you with this: let's take inspiration from this iconic month! We are, and will continue to be, pioneers and champions for our community. Don't let anyone tell you different. And for my lovely readers - stay tuned for next month's time travel shenanigans and remember: a tutu a day keeps the boring blues away!
Now if you'll excuse me, my dears, it's time to hit the studio, practice my next setlist, and prepare for my upcoming gig at The Derby Theatre, darling! Until next month, keep your eyes glued to www.pink-tutu.com! Love you all to bits, you wonderful souls! xx
Emma x
